


It's Quiet; Maybe Too Quiet... Or Maybe Not.

by hariboo



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: F/M, Slice of Life, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-14
Updated: 2012-11-14
Packaged: 2017-11-18 15:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/562512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hariboo/pseuds/hariboo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A boring day at the Mission means... a boring day at the Mission. Also, paperwork.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Quiet; Maybe Too Quiet... Or Maybe Not.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this in my WIPs for wayyyy too long. Enjoy!

The Mission was quiet. There was no Callen and Sam — both out on CHiPs patrol again — to fill the area with their banter over what they thought was a better dressing for pasta, who beat who in the firing range, or whatever they felt the other was wrong about today. Hetty was somewhere but nowhere to be seen, Eric and Nell were probably up in OPs. There were the sounds of other agents walking about and phones ringing but to Kensi they might have as well been white noise. It was quiet; just her, her coffee, and doughnuts. She would like to think of it as peaceful, but instead there was an itch at her back of her neck like she was waiting for something. Disliking the feeling the she purposely opened her paperwork and took what some would call an enthusiastic bite of her jelly doughnut. The feeling persisted regardless.

Rollling her shoulders, shifting in her chair, did nothing to alleviate it. She just was about tug her ponytail out just for the sole purpose of retying and _doing something_ to distract her when she heard him. 

"Morning, Kens! What a glorious morning it is! Did you see the swells coming in? Nothing better than the Santa Anas!" Deeks walked in to the Mission with an easy grace, carrying the smell of the ocean and his bags in with him. 

With a glance at her watch, she only responded with: "You're late." And if the tension in her shoulder relaxed even the slightest amount she would be the last to admit it. (He _was_ late, but he came in, alive. Not that she was worried, but he hadn't called her last night or this morning as was his habit.)

He laughed, slipping into his chair, grin plastered on his face. "Doesn't seem like I missed much around here." He made a show of looking around the room, "Did Estrada and Wilcox come by this morning with some exciting news from the PCH?"

Despite her best efforts she released a chuckle, lips lingering in a smile, at his question about Callen and Sam. "No, they haven't been in today."

He pouted and she was forced to point it out. She needed to start taking pictures for proof. "Pouting! Miss the boys club?"

"I do not pout!" He retorted, as usual.

"Um, yes, you do, because you just did it. You're doing it now."

"I am not, I'm stating fact: I don't pout," he pouted.

"Except," she smirked, "you're pouting."

At that point the it was pretty easy to fall into their routine — something dangerous for them to have in all areas of their lives except here where it was vital — and get on with their work, exchanging barbs as they did so. It filled the silence that had been clouding her area before. The words they volleyed back and forth a comforting rhythm that Kensi disliked admitting relaxed her somewhat (kinda a lot) as they worked.

Twenty minutes later, she blinked as he tossed a little paper triangle at her desk and watched where it bounced of her laptop and into her lap. 

She picked up the expertly folded piece of paper and twirled it in her fingers. 

"Seriously, Deeks?" She looked up to where he was sitting at his desk, chin propped on one hand, grinning at her. 

"Just wanted to get your attention," he said.

She rolled her eyes, "You're like a puppy."

"But a cute one, I hope."

"More like a shaggy, mangy, clingy one." 

He grinned wider, laying a hand across his chest in mock pain, "You wound me, partner."

Kensi twisted her lips in order not to smile, because yeah, maybe not so much mangy one. "You wanted something?"

Deeks blinked at her, like he had forgotten momentarily why he had just tossed a little paper triangle at her, and a part of her wondered if it had just been as simple as him wanting her attention. It was dangerous train of thought to follow down to conclusion and she was saved from it by Deeks himself. 

"So who do you think would be Estrada and Wilcox between Sam and Callen? Personal I think Sam would be Estrada just by cool points, but I don't know, do you think Callen would get all huffy? Estrada was the fan favourite." 

She cocked an eyebrow. "Are you seriously asking me this?" 

He shrugged and she wondered what on her desk she could throw at him, but then thought about the question he had just posed. He had made some good points. She leaned forward, propping her own chin in her hand. "Hmm, well, personality wise Callen would be Ponch, but yeah, he got the pretty boy Wilcox thing going for him. Sam's more cool and collected, unshakeable."

"See this what I'm saying! I want to get this right for when they next come in. You can't half ass a CHiPs joke."

She smiled, evilly, some would say, "You know we could just let them fight it out over themselves. I got twenty on Callen wanting to be Ponch."

He smiled back, meeting her gaze squarely, as he usually did. Too often they held each other's gazes for a beat too long with too many things left unsaid but understood, but today she could just saw the humour burning in his and knew her's reflected back to him. 

"Oh, Kensi, I'm not lying when I say you're doing things to my heart right now." 

Laughing, she rolled her eyes, again, something she did often with him, and leaned back in her chair, effectively moving from his eye line. It looked natural, easy, which was good. It wasn't that his gaze made her uncomfortable. Actually, it was the opposite, and _that_ made her uncomfortable. "Yeah, you should have that looked at."

"Please, if anyone here has a to worry about their heart it's not me, Little Miss Box of Jelly Doughnuts."

Kensi did the mature thing and stuck her tongue out at him, standing. "I'm gonna get coffee, you want?"

"Yeah, sure," he said and Kensi was very aware of how he followed her movements until she turned the corner. Once she knew she was out of his sight she swallowed, heading to where they kept the coffee, a whole new itch at her back and this one wasn't as unwelcome as the one this morning. 

He barely lasted five minutes by himself.

As she poured milk into her preferred mug she heard Deek's now familiar footsteps coming up behind her. 

And it wasn't like Hetty enforced a strict dress code around her but nobody else sounded quiet like Deek's in his beat up motorcycle boots. She wondered if he owned on. He had been very comfortable on the dirt bikes that time even with all his complaining; city boy. His voice followed his footsteps just at they stopped right behind her. 

"Hey," he said, looking over her shoulder as she finished pouring, his breath just a little too warm by her neck. 

She looked over her shoulder, "You did hear me say I was going to bring you one, didn't you? Or did you miss some sand in your ears?"

His smile was kinda a really good one. "I did."

"Okay… then? Don't trust me not poison it?" She joked and took the opportunity to set his mug to the side, turning her body just enough that his too warm breath wasn't an issue anymore. 

"Well, I didn't until right now," Deeks smiled, making a show of eyeing his coffee with wariness. Kensi hated to admit she found it charming. 

"Cute." Damn, she didn't mean to say that, but thankfully he only took it as sarcastic.

"Thanks," he flashed her a bright grin before saying in a low whisper, bending closer to her, "Actually, I'm back here because I forgot to tell you I found out where Callen hides that special syrup Hetty uses." He looked positively devious right now, a kid with the knowledge of hidden Christmas presents, his eyes bright with it and she found herself mirroring his grin. 

"Well, partner, show me where this treasure lies," Kensi said, amused and genuinely intrigued. Hetty's special syrup was awesome.

"Come on, we gotta be careful, there are eyes and ears all around us," he continued in his low, dramatic, whisper as he stepped closer to her, placed on hand at the curve of her waist, and guided her away from the break area. "Now, make sure nobody is following us, partner. This might be out most important undercover mission yet."

"We're clear," she laughed, throwing one last look over her shoulder to main area. Never hurt to double check.

As they walked, Kensi knew she should move away, walk faster, and let his hand drop from where it was still at her waist, but there was comfort there. A knowledge that this was her partner and he would not steer her wrong so she didn't. Kensi kept walking and made sure nobody was paying too close attention to them as Deeks lead her through the Mission and into the gym.

When the door swung shut behind them, she turned to Deeks, "The gym, that's Callen's secret hiding place?"

"The air tanks to be specific." Deeks shrugged, walking over to the tanks, "Hey, I never said is a really cool hiding place. I don't think Callen's creative enough to hide it in the shooting range..."

"Or at the top of the climbing wall," she added as she played look out half watching as Deeks grabbed the syrup. 

"Oh, that's a good one," he smiled and twisted the bottle open, offering to pour it in her coffee first. She ducked her head in thanks at the gesture even though she knew he hadn't thought twice about it. Deeks always did little things like that; buying her favourite beer, tossing her the extra sugar packet, taking her left over pickles on burgers. Taking a sip, she sighed and _hmmm_ ed. Man this made all the different in coffee consumption. She took another sip as she watched Deeks put the syrup back and come back to her and that's when she noticed it. 

"Hey, you didn't add any to yours."

He just smiled in that nondescript way that made her feel she had missed something. "Didn't want any."

Kensi frowned as he turned to door, "Really? Because if you're worried about Hetty finding out technically this all Callen's fault."

"Don't worry, I'm good," he said, chuckling, as he pushed the door open, "That stuff makes the coffee too sweet. I'll stick with my cream." 

She blinked, following him out, and had to hop-skip-jump half a step so the door didn't shut on her butt, because she was thinking about what he said. By now she knew Deeks' coffee order as well as she knew her own: black, two creams, hardly ever did he add sugar. She knew that that just like she knew that Hetty's syrup was pretty much all sugar—it was why Kensi liked it. Why Callen liked it too though he would never admit to having a sweet tooth to match hers. 

Kensi wasn't stupid, not mention she was trained investigator, and by the time they had reached the Mission's main area she was shaking her head at her partner. She took another sip of her now much improved coffee and smiled over to him as they sat back down. 

"Thanks, Deeks." 

He winked back, "I don't know what you're talking about." 

They worked through lunch, slowly making through the stacks of pending case files and paperwork they had neglected. If there was one thing to be said about the slow days at the Mission is was that it didn’t give anyone any excuse to behind on paperwork. At one point they played catch with Sam’s stress ball for twenty minutes out of boredom and traded off coffee runs but mostly it had been a morning of too much paperwork. 

Kensi leaned back in her chair and felt her shoulders pop as she stretched her arms. Lowering them, she crossed them behind her head and looked across to where Deeks was bent forward scribbling something in a file. She didn’t notice how her lips curled softly at the picture he made. Her shaggy puppy reference from this morning hadn’t been that far off. 

She was about to focus back on her backlog of work when Hetty passed by. 

“Ms. Blye, Mr. Deeks,” Hetty greeted them in her usual manner. 

Kensi sat forward and felt a little like a kid whose teacher came by to check on her work and found her staring ~~at the cute boy in class, or~~ out the window. Yeah, window was better. It only made her feel a little better that Deeks’ head snapped up like he had been caught doing something much worse. 

“Hey, Hetty, how are you?” Kensi said, absently straightening her desk. 

“Quite fine, Ms. Blye. I see you have taken the initiative today with your work.” Hetty said, eyes roaming Kensi’s desk. 

She smiled, “You can only let it pile up for so long.” 

“Says the girl who DVRs Hoarders,” Deeks said, grinning at Kensi. “How are you doing, Hetty?”

“I am fine, Mr. Deeks. I take you are well?” 

Deeks flashed his what Kensi personally (and privately) called his boy-band smile. “Only because I get to see you every day.”

Behind Hetty’s back, Kensi rolled her eyes at him, miming gagging at him. Deek barely spared her a look, but she felt that the smirk on his lips was directed at her. Hetty was her usual unflappable self. 

“I’m flattered, I’m sure.” Hetty responded, turning to look back at Kensi. Kensi shuffled around the papers on her desk, but she was sure she wasn’t fooling Hetty for a second. 

Looking up through her lashes, Kensi saw Hetty quirk a smile.

Kensi pursed her lips, leaning forward on her elbows, her papers getting pushed on the desk. “Can we help you with anything, Hetty?” Ready for a job to make the day more interesting.

Hetty clasped her hands behind her back, “I couldn’t help notice how the two of you have been working most of the morning.”

“Just some left over paper work. Why? You need something, Hetty?” Deeks asked, straightening in his desk, ready to jump at Hetty’s command. Kensi had tensed as well at Deeks’ words but held herself from jumping up. If there was something wrong… if something had happened to Sam and Callen… Her eyes flew to Hetty at the thought, but there was no way Hetty would be so calm about it. Wait, for course Hetty would. 

However all thoughts about Sam and Callen’s welfare where render moot when Hetty spoke. 

“No, nothing is wrong. I just noticed that neither of you have paused for lunch.” Hetty said, looking at them, a small smile gracing her face. 

Deeks’ brow scrunched and his lips twisted in curiosity. “You came to remind us to eat lunch?”

Hetty grins, “It’s important to get proper sustenance throughout the day, Mr Deeks.”

“Right, of course it is.” He looked over at Kensi over Hetty’s shoulder, brows rising. She read his look easily: _what the H?_ Kensi could only shrug back; she had no clue.

Kensi looked at Hetty and then back Deeks then back to Hetty. Stood up, “Hey, Deeks, want some lunch?”

His eyes fluttered from her to Hetty before he nodded, “Yeah, sure. The sandwich place near the beach?”

Kensi smiled, “Sure.” As she grabbed her keys, she turned to Hetty. “Hetty, want anything from the shop?”

Hetty looked up, a sly smile crossing her face, “Well, since you’re offering Ms Byle, I would not say not to the turkey club they make.” 

From behind her she heard Deeks chuckle as he stepped up and dropped an arm over her shoulder companionably. “Hetty, Hetty, Hetty, just how many of those tricks do you have those sleeves. All you had to do was ask.” 

Turning from them, Hetty walked away with her usual poise. “Too many for you to count, Mr Deeks, and I thought I just did.”

Kensi laughed and turned to Deeks, suddenly aware of how close he was and swallowed a bit at the proximity of his face to hers. He was smiling too as he watched Hetty walk away, amused disbelief on his face, and from where his arm was around her neck and shoulders she could smell the remainder of the sunblock he must have used when surfing this morning. He looked back at her and Kensi felt the need to swallow again, her throat dry all of a sudden. She bit her lips and then poked at his ribs. 

“Come on, Deeks. Let’s get us some lunch.” She walked out from under his arm. 

She didn’t need to look back to know he was right behind her and by the time they hit the courtyard where they all parked he was at her side again.

“Hey, what do you say about getting the chicken club, I’ll get the roast beef and we’ll go half and half.”

She flipped her sunglasses on and looked at him as they made their way of the Mission, “Sounds good.” 

Deeks grinned, slipping his own sunglasses on and Kensi blamed the heat for flush she felt rush through her body. The walk to the shop was quick and because they hadn’t taken their lunch hour they decided to sit and eat at the shop, making sure they made Hetty’s order to go. It was a nice day out and the wind balanced the heat out in such a way that Kensi didn’t feel the need to rush back to the Mission to escape it. Sometimes it still surprised her how much time she could spend with Deeks and not tire of his company. Get annoyed and frustrated at him, sure, but his presence was a welcome one even then. They never ran out of subjects to talk about or tease each other about, but the teasing (and sometimes light flirtation, from Deeks, mostly) had gotten the level where it was as familiar as Sam and Callen’s constant banter. 

They were finally hitting their own personal stride and owning it. She was kinda proud of them. 

As they finished lunch, grabbing Hetty's sandwich, and walked back to the Mission Kensi couldn’t help but think that she would miss Deeks’ near constant ramblings, more often than not said to get a reactions, usually smile, out of her, were it ever to go. She would miss Deeks. 

Huh. 

She had known that before, but she hadn't understood how much until now.

She would miss Deeks _a lot_ if he ever left.

She looked over at her partner and mirrored his move from before, draping her arm over her shoulder. He gave her a surprised look — he normally initiated the more intimate contact between them; that kiss none withstanding as it was part of the job — but only smiled.

“So, you’re telling me that you intentionally jumped of a building? Suddenly so many things are explained.”

Deeks laughed, leaning to her side, “Hey, it worked for Bruce Willis.” 

“Your hero, I take it?”

“No one dies harder…” 

She rolled her eyes, “You know if really wanted to be like him you have to do something about your hair.” Passing a playful hand over the blonde mop, she smirked evilly. Deeks’ eyes bugged out and glared at her. 

“Now, Kens, no need to be mean.”

The rest of the walk to the Mission was spent with Deeks protecting his hair. Kensi smiled all the way.

Maybe it had been a quiet day, but had been a good one. And hey, it was only lunch, the day was still young.


End file.
